Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone appear in the new Alexis Bittar ads. [The Cut]
The jewelry designer just signed a deal for major new backing from the private-equity group TSG, in exchange for a 50% equity stake. Terms were not disclosed. [WWD]

Manolo Blahnik says, "I find the idea of the super rich quite disgusting. I recently turned down a lot of money to create a mass-market type product. I don't want to make that sort of money if I am polluting my brand." Let's un-pack that, shall we? He's disgusted by the super-rich — but not as disgusted as he is by the idea of the non-super-rich wearing his shoes. [WSJ]

Celebrity graft: it's just as bad as you thought. Virtually everything stars are photographed wearing is a freebie or a loaner from a brand, from borrowed red-carpet gear (duh) to $700 leather jackets given out in gift bags. The only thing surprising about this story on the economics of celebrity gifting is this line: "Louis Vuitton is an exception: They won't ever gift or even discount." Who knew? [NYmag]

Karl Lagerfeld works at Chanel, Chloé, and Fendi, he's co-authored numerous books, he published a 12-volume edition of Nietzsche with Steidl, he guest-edited Metro, he shoots photographs for luxury ad campaigns and the exclusive Pirelli calendar — he can do all of those things and the fashion press thinks he's the fur on a piece of shearling. But as soon as Karl Lagerfeld launches a namesake line at a price point normal people might hope to afford — KARL, which is on sale now via Net-A-Porter — there's a long article in Newsweek asking if he's "Spread Too thin?" Clue: the first line is "Karl Lagerfeld is overrated." Thanks for your refreshing perspective as always, Robin Givhan! [TDB]

Miguel Adrover is returning to New York fashion week, where he will present his own line and his collection for German eco-friendly catalog chain Hessnatur. [WWD]

And now, a moment with model and community organizer Sara Ziff. Ziff founded the Model Alliance, a soon-to-be-launched labor nonprofit that is working to reform labor standards in the modeling industry. (Disclosure: I am a member of the Model Alliance board.) Sara, is it weird that people think models are paid so well that they mustn't mind when they are, say, sexually harassed at work?

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"People confuse an aesthetic with how people are being treated in the workplace," she says. "They might think taking issue with the work is a matter of being prudish, but it's not. It's a labor issue." [...] "If you get your nice, glossy fashion magazine in the mail and you flip through the pages and you enjoy looking at these pictures of these models, the last thing you want to think about is the fact that this girl might have been forced to drop out of school at 15 so that she could work for a photographer who demands hand jobs at castings."